A few of the best ways to spend a summer day in Seattle 2016

on June 13, 2016

Seattle may be known for the rain, but it’s the summer days here that make it count.

So, you’re moving to Seattle, and all you’ve heard lately is that worn out question, “How’re you gonna deal with the rain?” Sure, it rains here. We all know it. But what many who are unfamiliar with Seattle fail to consider the upside of all that rain: Incredibly beautiful and warm summers. It’s true, Seattle is absolutely at its best in the summer; the parks, the views, the water, the weather…you just can’t beat it. If you’re new to Seattle, or you’re spending the summer here, we’ve got the lowdown on some of the best ways to spend a summer day in the Emerald City:

Chilling in a park

Known as the 13th best city for parks in the Nation, Seattle is blessed with a number of wonderful parks that benefit from relatively high public funding and impeccable design. If you’re looking to kill a summer day in Seattle, lounging in a park is your best bet. Here are a few highlights:

Sporting almost 48 acres, Volunteer park is located in the heart of Capitol Hill and is home to the Volunteer Park Conservancy and Seattle Asian Art museum. Includes plenty of room for picnics, fantastic views, running trails, and beautiful landscaping.

A massive 534 acre park located in Ballard, this spot features lengthy hiking and biking trails, fantastic views, and access to a sand beach on the sound.

Located just around the corner from Eleanor Apartments, Ravenna park is one Seattle’s oldest, and features room for picnics, a children’s playground, and a beautiful running trail through Ravenna’s central ravine.

Another park that’s located near Eleanor, Greenlake sees a lot of activity during the summer thanks to hits running loop, it’s sandy beach with a diving dock, as well as its sporting field and courts.

Enjoying the Water:

The access to the Puget Sound and a few different lakes is one of Seattle’s key characteristics and the reason this area was inhabited long before it was ever settled by pioneers. If you’re looking to spend a day this Summer cooling off in Seattle, here are a few great spots:

Without a doubt the most popular beach on Lake Washington, Madison is a great spot to hit for all summer beach-related activities; swimming, rafting, kayaking, diving, barbecuing, tanning, meeting friends, you can do it all here.

One of the best spots on the southern end of Lake Washington, Mt. Baker beach features a long fishing that’s mainly used for lounging swimmers during the summer. It’s also home to a dock house, and a nice sandy picnic/beach area.

We couldn’t get away with not mentioning Alki Beach, without a doubt Seattle’s most famous stretch of Waterfront. While Alki may provide a chilly swim pretty much year round, its views of the Olympics plus its proximity to local shops and restaurants make it a must-stop

Taking in The Views:

With fantastic surrounding mountainscapes, the proximity to large bodies of water, and crisp clean air, there’s little doubt Seattle has some of the best in-city views of any major US city. If you’re looking to chill out for a summer day in Seattle, what better way than taking in one of these majestic views.

The park that countless Seattleites have taken their visiting parents, Kerry Park provides the most iconic view of Seattle, capturing the space needle, the downtown cityscape, and Mt. Rainier all in the same scope.

A fantastic beach, swimming spot, and park, Golden Gardens is the MVP of our how to spend a summer day in Seattle. But, here on our list, it’s getting credit for the fantastic view of the Olympics over the sound that you can spy from its beach.

A fantastic beach, swimming spot, and park, Golden Gardens is the MVP of our how to spend a summer day in Seattle. But, here on our list, it’s getting credit for the fantastic view of the Olympics over the sound that you can spy from its beach.

Seeing the Sites

Of course, if you’re new to Seattle, or you’re just visiting, you’ll want to hit a few of the more popular tourist attractions in town, and that’s a great way to spend a summer day:

The famous needle! Here you can scope an incredible panorama of the city and the surrounding area, eat a delicious meal, enjoy the Experience Music Project Museum, or the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibit, all in the same square mile!

You’ve seen the sign, you’ve seen the flying fish, you know it. Pike’s Place is the crown jewel of the Seattle tourist scene, and with good reason! Whether it’s your first time, or you’re returning for your tenth visit, you’re sure to have a great time shopping, and eating, and hanging out at Pike’s.

The troll is one of the more idiosyncratic tourist destinations on our list. It was built in the early 90’s and it perfectly encapsulates the kookiness of the Fremont neighborhood while simultaneously embodying the area’s Norwegian cultural roots.

Hearing the Sounds

Seattle is home to a few renowned summer music festivals. If you’re in town when one is happening, you should try and make it out. Most festivals like these feature a healthy blend of well-known and local acts:

An annual Folk Music festival that takes place throughout the Seattle Summer during the month of May, Folklife is one of the biggest, most well-attended folk music festivals of anywhere in the country.

Definitely, the biggest and longest running of Seattle music festivals, Bumbershoot also takes place within Seattle Center of Labor Day weekend and features some of the biggest names in music.

Started in 2004, Decibel Fest is an annual electronic music festival that takes place at the tail end of Summer in September. If you have a penchant for electronic music then you won’t want to miss this one.

There you have it! We just laid out five activities and nearly twenty Seattle spots for you to try out this summer. Seriously, if you’re still having trouble figuring out how to spend a summer day in Seattle after this list, then you’ve got some issues! With all the greenery, nice weather, awesome activities, and spots to take a dip, how could you ask for more?

If you’re new to Seattle, or you’re looking for a new place that’ll let you take better advantage of all that a Seattle summer has to offer, there’s nowhere better than Eleanor Apts in the Roosevelt neighborhood.

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